Curling

[JCon]

Dunstone with a bad blunder in 9. Why try to push for an 11th end, when you'll be in the same position? And, both teams had around 3 minutes left going into the 10th, with a much greater chance of making an error and Dunstone stealing one. Just mind boggling. 

I didn't think any of the MB teams would make the playoffs. This continues to be such a disappointing generation of players.

I expect McEwen to crumble as he usually does. 

[Super Duper Negatron]

I think his call in the 8th was worse. Make the safe freeze and force them to take one and go to the 9th tied. Instead he tried some insane shot that even if he made it would have just forced them to take one anyways.

[Noeller]

Dunstone is very VERY good... just having a bad week. He's still easily the best Manitoba men's curler we have right now. And honestly, Canada is so far behind everyone else in the world right now, it's not going to matter much anyhow. Italy, UK, Sweden... all better than us right now. 

[JCon]

29 minutes ago, Noeller said:

Dunstone is very VERY good... just having a bad week. He's still easily the best Manitoba men's curler we have right now. And honestly, Canada is so far behind everyone else in the world right now, it's not going to matter much anyhow. Italy, UK, Sweden... all better than us right now. 

Mid. 

[JCon]

McEwen is so predictable. 

[SpeedFlex27]

On 2024-03-06 at 8:03 AM, JCon said:

Dunstone with a bad blunder in 9. Why try to push for an 11th end, when you'll be in the same position? And, both teams had around 3 minutes left going into the 10th, with a much greater chance of making an error and Dunstone stealing one. Just mind boggling. 

I didn't think any of the MB teams would make the playoffs. This continues to be such a disappointing generation of players.

I expect McEwen to crumble as he usually does. 

When was the last time Manitoba won the Brier? Is it 20 years now?

[JCon]

15 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

When was the last time Manitoba won the Brier? Is it 20 years now?

2011. Haven't had a really competitive rink since Stoughton. This whole generation is disappointing. 

[SpeedFlex27]

25 minutes ago, JCon said:

2011. Haven't had a really competitive rink since Stoughton. This whole generation is disappointing. 

With all of the rule changes especially for residency qualifying & the addition of extra teams, two pools now, less games played per team. I believe a lot of fans have given up on the game. The format is very confusing & the Brier seems to have lost its lustre. It's all about qualifying for the OLympic Trials now. Not winning your country's curling championship for the curlers.

The best curlers are in Alberta now. The best team is from Newfoundland playing under the banner of Canada. Remember when the Brier was played in big venues like Saskatchewan Place, The Saddledome, Canada Life Centre or Rogers Colliseum? Every year when it was played out West on the Prairies, they'd always talk about setting new attendance records. Now, the venues are 7 or 8,000 seats. Lots of unsold seats during the draws during the week. Next year the Brier is in Moose Jaw. No attendance records will be set.

[JCon]

5 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

With all of the rule changes especially for residency qualifying & the addition of extra teams, two pools now, less games played per team. I believe a lot of fans have given up on the game. The format is very confusing & the Brier seems to have lost its lustre. It's all about qualifying for the OLympic Trials now. Not winning your country's curling championship for the curlers.

The best curlers are in Alberta now. The best team is from Newfoundland playing under the banner of Canada. Remember when the Brier was played in big venues like Saskatchewan Place, The Saddledome, Canada Life Centre or Rogers Colliseum? Every year when it was played out West on the Prairies, they'd always talk about setting new attendance records. Now, the venues are 7 or 8,000 seats. Lots of unsold seats during the draws during the week. Next year the Brier is in Moose Jaw. No attendance records will be set.

I am a bit confused by the need for all the changes. I'm a bit old school and thought it meant more when each province was represented by one team, plus Northern Ontario. I was fine with adding Team Canada. That was nice. 

But, for example, Alberta's Koe this year. He's been bad all year, yet he had enough points to get a spot Brier. A wasted spot. 

All of these changes and we're falling behind the rest of the world at the top. We block too many young curlers. 

[SpeedFlex27]

3 minutes ago, JCon said:

I am a bit confused by the need for all the changes. I'm a bit old school and thought it meant more when each province was represented by one team, plus Northern Ontario. I was fine with adding Team Canada. That was nice. 

But, for example, Alberta's Koe this year. He's been bad all year, yet he had enough points to get a spot Brier. A wasted spot. 

All of these changes and we're falling behind the rest of the world at the top. We block too many young curlers. 

I agree. If curling was as popular as it was, especially the Men's we'd see the Brier at these huge venues but we don't. But what do we see? The same teams every year & the same plot plays out, People are tired of the same teams in there every year with the same teams winning.

Curling has lost a lot of ground in this country the past 20 years. They need to give the people what they want. A round robin of ten end games where everyone plays everybody else once. Where the winning team has to play a marathon of games to win the event. No Team Canada. You got win it every year. No residency rules. All curlers play for the province they live in year round. The Brier needs to be the biggest event of the season again.  No extra or Wild card teams allowed. Just the provincial champs from each province.

[SpeedFlex27]

2 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

I agree. If curling was as popular as it was, especially the Men's we'd see the Brier at these huge venues but we don't. But what do we see? The same teams every year & the same plot plays out, People are tired of the same teams in there every year with the same teams winning.

Curling has lost a lot of ground in this country the past 20 years. They need to give the people what they want. A round robin of ten end games where everyone plays everybody else once. Where the winning team has to play a marathon of games to win the event. No Team Canada. You got win it every year. No residency rules. All curlers play for the province they live in year round. The Brier needs to be the biggest event of the season again.  No extra or Wild card teams allowed. Just the provincial champs from each province.

I got a part time job with the Flames in 1996-97 as an Usher. Not because I wanted to watch hockey or see big bands come through town which they did like Kiss, Metallica, The Tragically Hip, The Smashing Pumpkins, Hootie & the Blowfish & Def Leppard. Yeah, all those things were great but I really became an Usher for one reason so I could watch the Brier that March.

I was there for nearly every evening draw after my day job, plus playoffs & Final. Got to see Eddie "The Wrench" Werenich, Vic Peters from Manitoba, a young & very talented foursome from New Brunswick, the James Grattan team & Kevin Martin.

The event drew nearly 235,000 fans for the week. For awhile, it was a Brier record until Edmonton hosted it & set new attendance records. It seemed the attendance records were being set every year. My highlight of the week was walking down to the playing surface after the final draw on the Weds night & hanging out there for 15 minutes alone taking it all in. What a perspective looking up & seeing nearly 20,000 seats from all sides. That was awesome. For a curling fan like me, it was like going on a religious pilgrimage. I was in awe.

Today if the Brier was held again at the Saddledome, I wouldn't become an usher. If somehow I was, I wouldn't walk down to ice level & I'd only work a couple of shifts that week. The lustre of the Brier for me, is gone because Manitoba never wins anymore & the format sucks.

Edited March 11 by SpeedFlex27

[FrostyWinnipeg]

14 hours ago, JCon said:

McEwen is so predictable. 

You can bet on WWE but you can't bet on McEwen

 

[FrostyWinnipeg]

3 hours ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

With all of the rule changes especially for residency qualifying & the addition of extra teams, two pools now, less games played per team. I believe a lot of fans have given up on the game. The format is very confusing & the Brier seems to have lost its lustre. It's all about qualifying for the OLympic Trials now. Not winning your country's curling championship for the curlers.

The best curlers are in Alberta now. The best team is from Newfoundland playing under the banner of Canada. Remember when the Brier was played in big venues like Saskatchewan Place, The Saddledome, Canada Life Centre or Rogers Colliseum? Every year when it was played out West on the Prairies, they'd always talk about setting new attendance records. Now, the venues are 7 or 8,000 seats. Lots of unsold seats during the draws during the week. Next year the Brier is in Moose Jaw. No attendance records will be set.

I like the current format where the best tour teams get in regardless whether they win the province.  That was always a beef back before the change. We had 3 very good teams and only 1 got in.

My only current beef is that during an Olympic year the Brier/Scotties are not as good with the Oly teams usually not taking part. Just move the damn things up to Dec or put them on later and give the Oly team a guaranteed entry.

As for the arena thing, its good they move it around to smaller venues.

Edited March 11 by FrostyWinnipeg

[Noeller]

2 hours ago, FrostyWinnipeg said:

I like the current format where the best tour teams get in regardless whether they win the province.  That was always a beef back before the change. We had 3 very good teams and only 1 got in.

this is the only correct take. 

[JCon]

Just now, Noeller said:

this is the only correct take. 

No, thanks. It certainly has not improved the product. 

I got tired of watching McEwen point his way into these. 

 

Koe clearly did not belong out there and lost in his own provincial playdowns. 

[SpeedFlex27]

3 hours ago, JCon said:

No, thanks. It certainly has not improved the product. 

I got tired of watching McEwen point his way into these. 

 

Koe clearly did not belong out there and lost in his own provincial playdowns. 

Agreed. It isn't a better system. There's no way as many people are watching the BRier like they were ten years ago. If they were, then they wouldn't be playing in venues that are 40% of the size they played in during the 90's-10's.  It shows the system is broken. Who wants to see four teams from one province if you don't live in that province??? Wearing different colours than the traditional provincial sweaters as well. It's become a mish mash.

[FrostyWinnipeg]

 

[SpeedFlex27]

Everybody kinda figured it was something like this. This anti doping **** is getting crazy, if you ask me.

Edited March 13 by SpeedFlex27

[FrostyWinnipeg]

18 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

Everybody kinda figured it was something like this. This anti doping **** is getting crazy, if you ask me.

That's what her significant other is saying

 

[FrostyWinnipeg]

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/sports/curling/skip-brendan-bottcher-announces-he-has-parted-ways-with-team/ar-BB1lJ0KM

[JCon]

4 minutes ago, FrostyWinnipeg said:

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/sports/curling/skip-brendan-bottcher-announces-he-has-parted-ways-with-team/ar-BB1lJ0KM

That's unexpected. They were probably the best team in Canada last year. 

[Noeller]

Wyman says Brad Jacobs the leading candidate to take over.... 

[JCon]

1 hour ago, Noeller said:

Wyman says Brad Jacobs the leading candidate to take over.... 

So, I wonder who will take over? 

[FrostyWinnipeg]

It wont be Glenn Howard.

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/winter/curling/curling-glenn-howard-retirement-1.7175751

Edited April 17 by FrostyWinnipeg

[SpeedFlex27]

19 hours ago, JCon said:

That's unexpected. They were probably the best team in Canada last year. 

The others obviously didn't respect Bottcher. They seemed to disagree with every shot he called when I watched them play. Even their coach knifed the guy in the back & left with the other 3. Nasty.